AMD gets creative in its pursuit of cash.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) this week entered in an agreement to sell and lease back its Lone Star Campus located in Austin, Texas. The new owner will be 7171 Southwest Parkway Holdings, LP, an affiliate of real estate investment company Spear Street Capital. AMD says the sale is expected to generate $164 million in cash, the proceeds of which will be reflected in the chip designer's Q1 financial statement.

The industry-wide move to the 28nm manufacturing process has been slowed by the 28nm manufacturing struggles suffered by TSMC and other for-hire chip fabricators. Poor 28nm yields have adversely affected product availability for several of TSMC's partners, to the point that Nvidia and Qualcomm were rumored to be threatening to take their business elsewhere. Those dark days may be (mostly) behind, however, as TSMC's 28nm production skyrocketed in the second quarter.

Trouble with TSMC's (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) 28nm process technology could force Nvidia and Qualcomm to seek out other foundries. In fact, Nvidia reportedly has already started sampling its chips on Samsung's 28nm process technology, representing a significant shift in behavior and a potential huge loss for TSMC, which is currently the sole provider of chips for Nvidia.

Arizona's economy will soon get a boost courtesy of Intel, which plans to build a new fabrication plant in the state, company president CEO Paul Otellini announced. The $5 billion facility will add 4,000 U.S. jobs in 2011, mostly related to product development and R&D. Fab 42, as it's been designated, will be the most advanced high-volume semiconductor plant in the world and will also generate thousands of construction jobs.